"I’ve gotten to the point where I’m confident being me" - @cholpak

Nicholas Pakradooni is, apart from the king of amalgamating his name for an insta handle, a self described well fed artist, and a creator with a dreamy Instagram feed filled with fashion, travels, light and shadows. When he's not working on his own content, Nicholas is a photographer and videographer for other influencers, and if all of that wasn't enough - he's also an actor. We caught up with Nicholas to find out more about him, his work, and life in LA.

How and why did you get into content creation?

My mom is an artist and photographer, so I grew up loving to create things. Eventually I found an interest in fashion and started posting my photos on Instagram.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find fashion and travel inspiration through the people I follow, but when it comes to my actual photos, I find inspiration just by looking around. I constantly will stop my car just to take a photo if I see something unique or pretty. Maybe there’s a cool shadow being cast on something or light is coming through the window in an interesting way. I like photos to be very in-the-moment, and at am inspired by how the “moment” is constantly changing.

How do you decide what to share and what to keep private?

I’m pretty comfortable sharing everything. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m confident being me, and I want other people to feel that way about themselves too. I don’t try to be a “role model,” but you can only receive so many messages from people before you realize that you can have a positive effect on their lives just by being yourself and showing them that it’s okay to do that. I was in their shoes before. So even if something embarrassing or bad happens, I’ll share it. I love Instagram stories for getting personal and sharing more.

What is the best kept secret in Los Angeles?

Hmmmm, I think Silverlake. It’s not really a secret, but there are so many gems on the east side and tourists don’t usually make their way over there.

Any tips and tricks you'd like to share with other creators?

Yes. Be unique. If you see a photo on Instagram, it’s okay to draw inspiration from it, but don’t go and try to recreate it just because you think it’s what people want to see. They already saw it. Now they want something new. Yes, pretty much nothing is original anymore, but you can use a different angle or shoot in different lighting or add a cool border to try and differentiate yourself.

What camera and editing software do you use?

Honestly, I use my iPhone when shooting for my Instagram. I’ve noticed that people like the photos more vs ones taken on a camera and I think it’s because they’re more in-the-moment and less contrived. I use VSCO and Snapseed for editing.

How would you describe your aesthetics?

Uhhhh...artistic casual but elevated.

Tell us something no one knows about you.

I can do acrobatics and speak fluent french but maybe a lot of people know that!

What's been your favourite piece of work to date?

I don’t have a singular favourite, but I love video. I worked for Song of Style for 2 years and got to create some really great content for the YouTube channel and blog.